


Christmas Crafts

by PyronianMage



Series: The supernatural happenings on the NX-01 [2]
Category: Star Trek: Enterprise
Genre: Christmas, Friendship, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-17
Updated: 2020-12-23
Packaged: 2021-03-11 03:28:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 1,596
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28128396
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PyronianMage/pseuds/PyronianMage
Summary: Captain Archer tries to improve morale. Hoshi struggles with herself. Malcolm tries to be supportive. Trip talks too much. T’Pol tries to maintain her dignity. Poor Travis is forgotten again.
Series: The supernatural happenings on the NX-01 [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2054406
Kudos: 9





	1. Assignment

Captain Archer stood at the head of the table.

“You’re probably wondering why I brought all of you here today,” he said.

“That sounds ominous,” Hoshi leaned over and whispered to Travis. Travis tried not to shiver at her freezing breath.

The captain cleared his throat and looked at Hoshi, reminding her of his superior hearing. “As you know, we are more then halfway through December. That means Christmas is right around the corner. I’ve decided to initiate a bonding exercise.” The captain ignored Trip’s joke about what sort of “bonding exercise” he would like to do.

“First, I will set aside crafting supplies from the cargo bays into a single corner in cargo bat one. The crew will have free access to them. I expect you to cooperate with each other. There are a few tables in the cargo bay to craft on. You will work together on whatever projects you desire.” He ignored Trip’s next joke about what sort of project he desired.

“I will assign you each two people to give a craft to on Christmas. I expect these gifts to be creative. They don’t have to be too complex, but I expect some effort. You are all dismissed.”


	2. Freeze

“Are you doing alright, Hoshi?” Malcolm asked. The Communications Officer was hunched over a glass of water, dangling a piece of string in the middle.

“I’m trying to make this freeze on purpose,” she replied. “I always seem to do it when I’m not paying attention.”

“Maybe you should distract yourself. If you can find a pattern in what sort of thoughts affect this, you might be able to harness them.”

Hoshi didn’t bother hiding her frown. “There isn’t anything in common! I’ve been laughing and had it happen, I’ve been crying and my tears freeze, I’ve been swimming in a lake and the water froze. Every time, I feel different, and am doing something different.”

“Has it ever happened when you were relaxed?” Malcolm wondered.

“Well, no, but that isn’t much to go off of. I’ll figure it out. I’ve figured out more complicated stuff before.”

Malcolm paused for a moment. “It’s easy to figure out things from the outside. Inside, you can’t look at the whole picture, and you can’t get others to look for you. I’m sure Phlox would love to tell you how tricky the mind is. Now, do you mind if I sit here? I have crafting to do.”


	3. Admiration

Trip glued together two grey pieces of felt. They stuck together nicely, for a few seconds at least.

“You may need to try a different strategy,” said a voice behind him.

Trip turned around fast, almost falling of his chair. “Whoa, don’t sneak up on me like that, T’Pol!”

T’Pol focused her gaze on the scraps of felt falling off the table. “I walked here at twice the normal volume to alert you. It seems I underestimated your focus in your... task.” She walked over to pick the scraps up off the floor. 

“I just need to get these together. Do you think I can make it curve here?” Trip asked.

“It has been requested that I assist others in their tasks here. I have chosen to help you.” T’Pol answered. “If I fold this over and stitch it to this piece, it will result in a cylindrical shape.”

Trip stared at the felt for a moment. “Why didn’t I think of that?”

They worked together for about half an hour, until the finishing touches were being sewed on with embroidery cotton. Crew members from the Beta shift were just starting to pour in, exited to work with each other. A few looked over every so often, watching their superiors work. 

Trip noticed that most of them were looking at T’Pol. “I think you have admirers,” he said quietly to her.

“They most likely aspire to be in my position,” she responded.

“That might not be the only reason,” Trip pointed out.

T’Pol pulled her string a bit tighter than normal. “I assure you, I have not used my abilities on any of them or intend to do so. They have no reason to admire me personally.”

“I wasn’t implying anything,” Trip rushed to correct, “I’m sure your abilities have nothing to do with it.”

“I am a Succubus. Many avoid me for the unprofessional emotions I could evoke.”

“You’re also a strong commanding officer, smart, and diligent. It doesn’t matter what you are, you’ve more than proven yourself.”

“There is always more I could do. Their admiration of me is unfounded.”

“That’s why you’re admired,” Trip said. “You are always doing more. You didn’t need to help me today, but you did. Even though it probably wasn’t that logical. You did something for a single crew member that they could have done themselves.”

“It was logical. I gained a lot of knowledge about the nature of your species. As well as knowledge about a fellow officer. This experience was insightful.”


	4. White Christmas

Artificial snow was laid down it the cargo bay. Ornaments were hung on a metal tree. In the middle of it all, Trip sang.

“I’m dreaming of a white Christmas. Just like the ones I used to know. Where the treetops listen, and children glisten - wait, that’s not right.”

“Maybe you should let someone else sing for a while,” Captain Archer remarked. “Maybe Malcolm wants to sing for us.”

“Certainly not!” Malcolm immediately exclaimed.

Trip gave the Captain a look. “You know he’s shy.”

“I am not!” The shy Armoury Officer objected.

“You’re right Trip,” the Captain sighed. “Maybe we should move on to the gift giving. I’m sure you’ve all made great things.”

Hoshi walked up to Malcolm, holding a half-spherical object in her hands. “Guess what I got you and if you’re right I’ll be amazed.”

“A baseball cut in half?” he guessed.

“Unfortunately no. Open it!” Hoshi said, handing him the present.

Malcolm spent five minutes carefully unwrapping the gift without tearing the paper, and then threw the wrapping paper away anyways. Inside was a clear paperweight, with blue water in the middle.

“Do you see what it is?” Hoshi asked.

“A paperweight,” Malcolm responded.

“Those paperweights can be made with things preserved inside them. Do you see the shape that the water inside is filling?”

Malcolm twisted the paperweight around a few times. “It’s crystalline and long, and pointed at the end. Was this frozen?”

Hoshi smiled. “It was frozen! By me!” She exclaimed.

“That’s wonderful Hoshi! Was there a pattern to your powers?”

“There was. I had to do the opposite of focus, and then once I did that I could feel what was happening. It just sort of clicked. I don’t think it’s explainable. I think it’s something I just had to do once, and then I got it.”

“How did you make the paperweight?” Malcolm asked.

“I put some food colouring in water, and froze some of it. Phlox showed me how to make a paperweight out of something with a disgusting name. Don’t worry, the name didn’t match what it was. It was tree sap.”

Hoshi looked at the paperweight fondly. “I preserved the icicle in there, or at least the shape of it. It’s all water now.”

The paperweight would stay on Malcolm’s desk for the rest of his time on Enterprise.

Captain Archer knew the expression on Trip’s face. Trip was bursting with excitement. Whether that was good or bad remained to be seen.

“Here!” Trip almost shouted, handing him a large gift.

The Captain tore into the paper immediately, needing to know what the excitement was about. What he unwrapped was a detailed and accurate felt model of the NX-01 Enterprise. 

“Wha-“ he started saying, but Trip was already walking up to Malcolm with another gift. 

He admired the felt ship for five minutes, before his hand felt a button on one of the nacelles. When he pressed the button, the ship separated like a pop-up-book. Each deck was laid out in front of him. Little felt people were in the hallways. On the bridge, a little felt captain commanded his little felt crew.

The captain was reminded of just how much of a miracle worker Trip really was. Only a few words could come close to describing his amazement. 

“How in the f-“   
A few packages were loudly and conveniently dropped at the perfect time to make the rest of this line inaudible. 

Trip walked up to Malcolm, brimming with glee. “I’ve got something for ya, Malcolm.”

Malcolm looked up from what seemed to be a paperweight. He seemed a bit startled, as someone who had been staring at a paperweight for the last ten minutes would be.

Trip stood watching Malcolm open the present, smiling more and more as the paper was peeled off. Eventually, a felt PHASE-Pistol was revealed. 

Malcolm studied the felt in amazement. Every detail was exactly as it should be. As he ran his hands along the pistol, he noticed there was even a release hatch in the right place. Pulling on it as he would a real one, he revealed an accurate interior.

“What do you think?” Trip asked.

He was answered by a strange whining noise. 

“You okay Malcolm?” he asked, just before being enveloped in a full-body hug.  
If he had known this would happen, he would have given the gift to Malcolm sooner.

The crew were interrupted by a loud crash. Followed by a jingling and a yell of “Porthos! Get back here!”

Porthos set the bells at T’Pol’s feet. He wanted in on the gift giving, too.


End file.
